Chapter 22 Summary

At the same time, Stein sketched for Marlow the tumultuous state Patusan found itself in at the time of Jim's arrival. Antagonistic forces existed in the region and the worst of the Sultan's uncles, Rajah Allang, was the one who did the extorting and stealing and who perpetrated genocide against the country-born Malays. It was to him that Jim and Marlow paid a visit of ceremony some two years after Jim first came to the region.

Marlow reminisces of the moment he told Jim of Patusan. Jim reacted in much the same manner as when he had first been given the chance to escape, to have a clean slate. Marlow revealed the danger of the undertaking to Jim and said that should he choose to go, there would be no way back. It would be, Marlow explained, as though he had never existed...